Cyril was born to a wealthy family in the small Rus' principality of Turov in the Pripet marshes (now southern Belarus). He took monastic vows young at the Boris-and-Gleb monastery of Turov, withdrew to live as a pillar-saint (stylite) in a tower above the monastery, and was eventually compelled to accept consecration as Bishop of Turov around 1169.
He is the most accomplished native Eastern Slavic writer of the twelfth century. His sermons — particularly the cycle for the Easter season, the Sermon on the Anointing, and the Sermon on the New Sunday (the Sunday after Easter) — are masterpieces of Byzantine homiletic style transposed into Slavonic, full of rhetorical ornament and dramatic dialogue between biblical personages. He also wrote prayers (the Cycle of Prayers for Days of the Week is attributed to him), poems, and a brief monastic rule.
He is venerated as the 'Slavic Chrysostom' for the quality of his preaching and is one of the principal patrons of Belarus. His relics rest at Turov.